Curling-iron heater



June 15 1926.

J. BRANDSTETTER CURLING IRON HEATER Filed Dec. 15 1924 @E Era/7 J fefier FE E 7 15- 7 Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES J'OSEF BRANDSTETTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURLING-IBON HEATER.

Application filed December 15, 1924. Serial No. 755,899.

My invention relates to heaters for our]- ing irons and more particularly to electrically operated heating appliances which will permit even an experienced userto heat ordinary curling irons speedily and to varying and easily estimated degrees.

In one of its numerous objects, my invention provides a heater for this purpose which will permit a bare heating element to be disposed close to the curling iron so as to obviate the time required for heating intervening walls or heat insulations, thereby greatly reducing the time required for the,

heating. In a further object, my invention provides a heater having a plurality of compartments designed for interchangeably receiving a curling iron or the like and disposed so that the rate of heating, or the tem' perature attained by leaving the iron for a given time within a compartment, will vary with the several compartments.

My invention also provides a simple and inexpensive construction for this purpose adapted to employ heating elements in the form of composition rods to permit the ready attaching or detaching of such heating elements, and one which will effectively shield certain portions of the appliance from an undue heating effect so as to prevent an overheating of some parts and to aid in concentrating the heat on the compartment or compartments which receive the curling iron. Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a curling iron heater embodying my invention and having three compartments adapted inter changeably to receive a curling iron and to heat the iron to different degrees according to the compartment in which the iron is inserted.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central and vertical section taken transversely through the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical and longitudinal section through the same embodiment.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the wire terminal members which afford the connections between the circuit wires and the heating element.

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 but showing another embodiment of my invention, namely one having only two compartments.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the upper shelf.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the lowest shelf.

Referring to the embodiments of Fig. 1 to 4 inclusive, this shows a curling iron heater having an insulating base 1 and employing as its heating element a composition rod 9.. This rod is clamped between the free ends of a pair of wire terminal members secured to a horizontal bar 3 of insulating material, the said bar being supported at some distance above the base 3 in any suitable manner. Housing the resistance rod 2, the insulating bar 3 and the circuit terminal members is the lower compartment of a casing made of sheet material (such as aluminum), which casing has certain of its wall portions perforated so as to cause air to circulate past the heating element through the upper iron-receiving compartments of the appliance and so as to aid in cooling the portion of the casing below the heating element.

For these purposes, Figs. 1 to 3 show a casing in which the side walls and top are all formed integral with each other and integral with base portions which are extended to form troughs for holding irons when not in use. These figures also show the lower portion of the casing as made considerably wider than the upper or ironreceiving compartments of the casing, so as to reduce the direct heating effect of the heating element on the lower wall portions while permitting heat to be concentrated effectively on an iron in anyone of the more elevated compartments. Thus, I space the lowerside wall portions 1 and 5 from each other by a distance considerably greater than that between the upper vertical wall portions 6 and 7 and I desirably connect the latter to each other by a rounded or semicylindrical top 8. Then I provide both this top and the lower lateral side wall portions 4 and 5, as well as the plates 9 which close the ends of the widened lower casing portion. with a relatively large number of perforations for aflording hot air outlets and air inlets respectively. Extending effectively across the elevated or narrower part of the casing are a plurality of shelves which are here shown as horizontal and as equipped with openings through which heated air can readily pass upwardly. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, the uppermost shelf 10 consists simply of a horizontal plate provided with'a large number of perforations and having at its side edges lugs 11 which prol corresponding perforations in -1011 so as to support this shelf at a suffici nt di ance below the top 8 of the casing to permit air to circulate around an iron 1 inserted in this topmost compartment. 1e next lowest shelf 18 is here shown as consisting of two portions extending towards each other from opposite Sides of the casing so as to leave an air slot between them. it is also shown as made integral with the lowest shelf 14 which is provided with ativcly large perforations, this being easily accomplished by bending a partly perforated strip of sheet metal into a tube of rectangular section having a perforated bottom and gapping open slightly at its top. Vith the tube thus constructed, the screws 15 which fasten it to the upper walls: 6 and 7 of the casing serve simultaneously as supports for both of the lower two shelves.

To support the insulating bar 3 and the circuit terminals carried by the latter, I desirably form each circuit terminal of a strip of brass or bronze including a riser arm 16 which has its upper end cupped as shown at 17 in Fig. l so as to receive the rounded end of the resistance element 2. This riser arm 16 is desirably connected by a reverse bend to a horizontal portion 18 which is fastened by screws 19 to the insulating bar 3 and which has its other end bent downwardly and perforated to receive a terminal screw 20 by means of which one of the circuit wires 21 is attached to it. Then I interpose a pair of vertical supporting tubes 22 between the horizontal circuit terminal portion 18 and the base 1 of the appliance and secure this portion 18 to the base by screws 23 extending through the said tubes 22 and threaded respectively into the two terminal parts 18. By so doing, it will be obvious from Fig. 8 that I provide a supporting arrangement in which the bar 3 is mounted at a considerable distanceabove the base 1 so as to permit air to circulate under the latter to lreep the top of the base from scorching. In view of the high temperature of a heating element designed for quick heating, 1 also desirably provide a further guard or shield in the form of a thick plate 2 1- of heat insulating material resting on the bar 3 and extending substantially from one lower side wall portion of the casing to the other.

Nith the appliance thus constructed, it will be obvious that as soon as current is supplied through the wires 21, the heating of the resistance rod 2 will cause hot air to rise through the openings. in the shelves and, since the lowest two compartments are closed at their sides, the rising hot air will quickly heat these compartments intensely. Moreover, with the iron disposed in the lowest compartment, this iron is quite close to the heating element 2, so that it will be heated to a considerable extent by direct radiation. Consequently, even when l start with the cold appliance and a cold iron, I can heat the iron to a suitable working temperature in a small part of the time required with heaters in which the heating element is wound on a tube or is otherwise shielded from the iron which is to be heated. I

After the current has once been turned on, the time required for, bringing an iron to the same temperature in the lowest compartment is correspondingly reduced, so that my device savesa large amount of time for the user, which is particularly important when such an appliance is used in so-called beauty parlors. lviioreover, by inserting the iron in the intermediate compartment so that it will rest on the shelf 13, I cause it to heat to a lesser extent during the same time interval, and in a still shorter time if I insert the iron in the top compartment. This permits the effective temperature of the iron to be varied readily, thereby adapting my appliance for heating irons that are to be used on different thicknesses or qualities of hair, and also adapting it for use by women who are not accustomed to exact timing.

F or example, I have found that with a heater constructed as per Fig. 1 and already warmed up, ll can secure approximately the same and adequate temperature in the middle compartment in one minute as I can in the lowest compartment in a half minute, thereby permitting a trained operator to save considerable time while the less experienced one can play safer by using the slower compartment. So also, in this case, l found that the same iron would not overheat (to the point where it would scorch hair) if left in the top compartment for three minutes. Hence my heater not only saves considerable time for those with whom the minutes count, but also permits others to play safe.

By extending the lower portions of the main wall member of the casing laterally, l readily provide base flanges 25 which rest upon the base 1 and a screw to the latter, and by turning up the extreme end 26 of the wall member I afford convenient troughs for supporting irons when not in use. By suspending the lowest shelf within the widened part of the casing, I dispose this so as to hold the iron quite close to the heating elementand hence secure an intense and very speedy heating of the iron, particularly as the large perforations in this 10 *est shelf expose a large portion of the iron to the direct radiation of heat from the heating element, while keeping the laterally adjacent parts of the casing spaced widely.

Moreover, while I have illustrated and described my invention in an embodiment including various highly desirable features of shape, construction and arrangement, I do not wisn to be limited as to these. Obviously, many variations might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims. Changes in the materials might be made likewise, while the available and graduated heat may be utilized equally for heating other obiects than curling irons. For example, Fig. 5 shows a modified form in which the middle compartment is omitted, so that a single tube constructed after the manner of Fig. 5 serves to afford both of the needed ironsupporting shelves.

I claim as my invention 1. A. heater for curling irons, comprising a casing, an electric heating element in the lower portion thereof, and a pair of iron rests disposed one above another, each rest being adapted to support an iron and to cause heated air to pass close to the iron, the lower portion of the casing being provided with air inlets and the top of the casing with air outlets, the lateral casing walls between the said iron rests being imperforate.

2. A heater for curling irons, comprising a casing having a base, a pair of iron rests mounted above one another within the easing and each adapted to support an iron, an electric heating element supported in the casing between and spaced from the lower iron rest and the base of the casing, and heat insulating means disposed below the heating element and at some distance above the base to prevent downward radiation of heat from the heating element.

3. A. curling iron heater as per claim 2, in which the heat insulating means comprises a member extending substantially from one lateral wall of the casing to the other, and in which the casing has air inlets above the insulating member.

4-. A curling iron heater as per claim 2, in which. the heat insulating means comprise a member extending substantially from one latera wall of the casing to the other, and in which the casing has perforations in its walls for admitting air below the said memand above the base of the casing.

A heater for curling irons, comprising a casing having plurality of superposed compartments connected to each other through openings in the intervening walls and an el ctric heating element in the lowest compartment, the lowermost compartment being relatively wide so as to space its wall considerably from the heating element. and the higher compartments being relatively narrow so as to afford relatively close confinement for an iron inserted therein, the top compartment having perforations in its wall portions and the lowermost compartment having in its walls perforations of greater total area than those in the top compartment.

6. In a heater for a curling iron heater, an elongated casinghaving its main portion of an. inverted substantially U-shaped transverse vertical section, the upper part of the casin being narrower than its lower part; a shelr member formed of a'sheet of metal bent to a U-section with the tops of its shanks bent toward each other and provided with perforations in its bottom, he shelf member having vertical shank portions secured to the upper part of the casing and extending downwardly into the lower part of the easing, so that the said bent shank portions and the said bottom afiord iron rests respectively disposed in the upper and the lower casing parts; and an electric heating element disposed in the lower part of the casing below the said bottom of the shelf member.

7. A heater for curling irons, comprising a casing having a plurality of superposed compartments connected to each other through openings in the intervening walls, and an electric heating element in the lowest compartment, the casing having a Wall thereof laterally extended at the foot of the wall and terminating in an upwardly sloping portion to afford a trough serving as a rest for an iron.

8. In a curling iron heater, a casing having perforations in its top, a plurality of perforate shelves disposed one above the other across the casing, and an electric heating element in the casing below the lowest shelf, the casing having openings at both ends to permit the inserting of an iron from either end above any one of the shelves.

9. In a curling iron heater, a casing having a pair of substantially horizontal compartments spaced from each other by a perforate partition and both open at the same end. one of the coinprtments having an opening in its bottom, the other having apertures in its exterior, and an electric heating element disposed below the said open ing, the casing having air inlets below the compartments through which air is adapted to move past the heating element to the apertures in the bottom of the first designate} conipartinent.

10. In a curling iron heater, a base, an electric heating element disposed substanlly horizontally at a distance above the base, plurality of substantially horizontal and perforate shelves disposed above one another with the lowest thereof above and spaced from the heating element, and a casing laterally housing the said heating element and shelves, the casing having air inlets above the base and below the heating element and having air outlets above the top shelf.

11. In a curling iron heater, an elevated, and substantially horizontal tubular iron receiving compartment having openings in its top and bottom, a heating element disposed horizontally below and at a distance from the bottom of the compartment, a pair of wire tern'iinal members connected to the heating element, a heat shield below the heating member; and a casing laterally housing the heating element, wire terminal members and heat shield, the casing having apertures :tor affording a circulation of air below the heat shield.

12. A curling iron heater as per claim 11, including a base supporting the casing, and an insulating bar supported by the base and carrying the wire terminal members.

18. A curling iron heater as per claim 11, including a base supporting the casing, and an insulating bar supported by the base and carrying the wire terminal members and supporting the heat shield.

14. In a curling iron heater, a relativelytall and narrow casing apertured at the top and in its lower side portion and having its upper portion open at one end, a pair of vertically spaced and perforate shelves horizontally disposed in the upper part of the casing and aliording three superposed compartments adapted interchangeably to receive an iron, and a heating element disposed in the lower portion of the casing but above some of the apertures in the lower side portion, the casing having base portions extending laterally outward from the lower end of its side walls and each thereafter turned upwardly to cooperate with the adjacent side wall for forming an iron receiving trough, and a base closing the lower end of the casing and secured to the said base portions of the casin 15. In a heating device, a base, a pair of uprights projecting above it, a pair of wire terminal members respectively secured to the uprights and each including an upwardly extending resilient arm, a high resistance rod clamped between and supported by the said arms and a heat insulating shield carrieil by the uprights and disposed below and spaced from the said rod.

16. A heater for curling irons, comprising a casing having an upper narrow portion and a lower wide portion, a heating element disposed in the said wide portion, and a plurality of perforate iron-holding shelves spaced above one another, the lowest shelt being disposed in the said wide portion and relatively close to the heating element.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, December 12th, 1924-.

JOSEF BRANDSTETTER. 

